Behind the Mask
by Mirrors2014
Summary: Meg knows the Phantom is crazy. At least, that's what she been told. But she longs to see the man behind the mask. Behind the mask of authority and cool control. And maybe, she will find her first love. :)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello Phans! Just so you know, this will be my first POTO fanfiction ever. So, if it's utterly terrible, you will know why. : ) I hope you enjoy this.**

Chapter 1

Meg Giry gasped as she saw the chandelier falling. She was worried, yes, but more worried about the Phantom than the people in the Opera House. She knew that her mother had a connection to him: she had told her herself. She raced down to where she could hear her mother talking.

"Monsieur, keep your hand at the level of your eyes!"

Meg stepped out of the shadows quickly. "I'm coming," she announced.

Her mother glanced at her in concern. "No! Meg you stay here!"

Meg glared defiantly at her mother, "No!" She raced away to where she knew that the search party was going after the Phantom. She quickly joined them. No matter what happened, she would continue her mother's legacy. She would protect the Phantom. _Are you crazy? _She thought, _your prepared to protect a man you don't even know? _She crossed her arms defiantly. Of course.

When they got there, all Meg found was the mask. But she knew that the Phantom would never leave without it: it was his shield that he hid behind. _I can't let them know he's still here, I must make them go away. _She quickly stood up and shouted loudly. "He's gone! All that is left is his mask! We need to leave!"

It took a little more convincing, but finally the mob was more worried about getting out of the burning building alive than searching for a crazy man.

Meg sighed in relief. She looked around, wondering where he could have disappeared to. A blanket was covering something…. She reached over and pulled it down. What she saw satisfied her tremendously. A mirror had obviously been there: the shards of glass everywhere signaled that, but she needed to be careful. She slowly looked around and stepped through the broken mirror into the tunnel. It was dark and damp inside. Meg thought she heard something- then suddenly she felt something run over her foot. She shrieked, totally forgetting to remain quiet. She then proceded, however un-lady like it might have been, hopping around on one foot and shrieking. She immediately regretted making all that noise when she felt a strong hand slip around her shoulders to clamp onto her mouth, forbidding her from making any sound.

Meg was roughly shoved against a wall. The hard stones scraped her back, but what scared her more was the shocking silvery-green eyes staring coldly at her. She immediately knew it was the Phantom: who else could it have been? His face, well, the half that was showing (the other half, the deformed side, was covered by a black mask), was scrunched into a frown. She couldn't help but gulp in fear, the mere presence of the Phantom was intimidating. He was at least six feet tall, probably more. Dark hair was swept majestically behind his ears, and he had the most beautiful silver-green eyes she had ever seen.

"Marguerite Giry, _what _are you doing here?!" His voice was deep, but intoxicating nonetheless.

Meg Giry gestured to his hand that was still clamped around her mouth.

For a moment the Phantom seemed embarrassed. "Yes, you might need your mouth to talk."

Meg swallowed and licked her lips as soon as his hand slipped away from her mouth. To her great dismay, however, his hand immediately went to the other side of her, so that she was literally trapped between him and the wall. "I-ah,"

"SPEAK!"

Meg cleared her throat and licked her lips again. "I came looking for you."

The Phantom's eyes narrowed, for a brief moment he was confused. "Looking for me? Why would you do that?"

_I wanted to see if you were okay. _But she didn't dare say the words out loud. She blushed just thinking about those words. She ducked her head, hoping desperately that he hadn't noticed, but being the Phantom of the Opera, he had. He simply raised an elegant dark eyebrow and waited for her to answer.

"I ah came to see if you were still alive?" The words sounded puny, even to her very scared mind.

The Phantom arched his eyebrow again, and Meg couldn't help but stare. His eyes….

"Well, we need to get you back to your mother," the Phantom said crisply, breaking her focus off his eyes, and she blushed again.

And that was when she heard something. "The tunnel's collapsing!" Meg gasped in fear and unconsciously stepped closer to the Phantom, if that were even possible.

The Phantom grimaced slightly at Meg, feeling very uncomfortable with her right, like RIGHT next to him. He could feel her breath on his neck. But he forced himself not to focus on that.

His train of thought was interrupted once again as the tunnel fully collapsed, trapping them both in there.

"Phantom…" Meg whispered, moving closer to him once again.

The Phantom took a step back, and his face was contorted in an angry frown. "My name is not Phantom!"

Meg looked confused, but persisted. "What would you have me to call you, then?"

The Phantom avoided looking at the blonde ballerina. "Erik. Just Erik."

Meg smiled as brightly as she could with the circumstances, and then seemed to remember where she was and who she was with. She sank to the floor, and the weeping came.

**AN: How was it? Do you have any suggestions? Constructive criticism is appreciated. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks to DG is Little Drummer Girl for the review! I'm glad you like it so far. : ) Anyways, enjoy.**

Chapter 2

Meg found herself on the floor, weeping hysterically. She wept for all that she had lost. She hadn't even been able to tell her mother goodbye. Why, oh why did she have to come down here? If she hadn't come down here, then she would have been safe with her mother and not trapped in this… this cave with a crazy Phantom. She didn't know how she would be able to stay calm down here. A feeling of claustrophobia started to engulf her in it's clutches and she began to shriek and flailing her arms wildly.

Erik looked at the blonde dancer in embarrassment. He didn't know how to comfort her, so he let instinct take over and knelt down beside Meg. He stretched out his arm to comfort her, but immediately withdrew it when an image of a beautiful dark-haired appeared in his brain. Oh Christine, he thought miserably, why did you leave me? Why did you abandon me? He was actually kind of impressed that he hadn't flipped out as Meg was doing because of the hurt. If only that arrogant Victome hadn't come…. No. He wouldn't think of that. He needed to concentrate on what was happening now. He'd have plenty of time to grieve over his loss later, when he saw Meg safely to her mother. Wait, how was he going to do that? That tunnel was the only way out of here. Why didn't I build another one! He shook his head and forced himself to look once again at Meg.

Meg had calmed down a bit, and that's when she suddenly sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes, embarrassed. "I-I'm sorry," she muttered, not looking at the Phantom – no, Erik.

Erik was tempted to raise his eyebrow, about the only feeling he ever showed when he was around anyone. Unless it was Christine, whispered a voice in his head. Erik growled suddenly, feeling very annoyed with himself. Why did he think that Christine would return his affection? The whole world rejected him, for opera's sake! He suddenly realized that Meg was just sitting on the floor miserably. He also remembered that she was a guest here. And whether he liked it or not, he needed to show at least some hospitality. "Come," he said gruffly. "I will show you the room you are to stay in while you are here, as well as where I keep all my food."

Meg blinked hard, trying not to let the tears spill from her eyes again. She had momentarily forgotten that she was cursed to stay with Erik for the rest of her life. She stood up, feeling very frumpy in her now wrinkled blouse. She wondered what her face looked like. It probably had dirt smudges all over it. She lifted her head to look at Erik, and was immediately captured by his enchanting silvery-green eyes. There wasn't a color that she knew of that could describe Erik's eyes. Erik immediately shifted his gaze from her to something over her shoulder. Meg you idiot! She thought to herself, you've embarrassed him. He's hasn't exactly been with people every day of his life. She looked away, blushing.

"Are you going to stand there all day?"

Meg jumped and glanced at Erik. "Uh, no, I wasn't, I was just-" she broke off, realizing how stupid she must sound. She took a deep breath to calm herself and looked at Erik steadily. "I'm ready now."

Erik simply nodded and started walking through up the steps and took a right, walking past the organ in the middle of the room. Meg followed as quickly as she could, though she couldn't keep up with Erik's long strides. He reached a room and turned around to wait for her to catch up. When she did, Erik gestured to the room. "This," he told her, "will be your room. The clothes in the closet are yours, if you can fit in them. You may also have the shoes: I doubt you'll want to where those ones the rest of your life." He gestured to the tall, knee-high boots that she was wearing. Meg nodded and glanced inside of the room. It was simply beautiful. There were not even enough words in the world to describe how extravagant that room was. She took another deep breath and looked at Erik again. Once again she was met with those eyes. He looked away quickly and cleared his throat, feeling awkward.

"You have pretty much free reign around here, but there are a few rules that I insist you must follow."

Meg nodded, trying to catch his eye again. However, try as she might, he refused to look at her. Why – she didn't know.

Erik cleared his throat again and continued. "My room is off limits. It's right across this room, but if you dare to step in there I promise you that I will not be responsible for what happens."

**AN: REVIEW! Also, for those of you that have a Facebook, I have made a page for all the stories I have written on fanfiction. Check it out! Feel free to post a comment or photo (if it's about Phantom of the Opera, the only year allowed is 2004. Any posts from the 1925 or 1900's movies will be deleted. ) Review review review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I'm assuming you guys liked the last chapter, but I wouldn't know for sure because I didn't get any more reviews. I like to know how I'm doing. :) **

Chapter 3

Meg gulped, hearing clearly the not very concealed threat behind Erik's words. No matter how curious she was, she was going to have to gain his trust before being permitted to glance around his room. She nodded quickly, trying to keep the fear out of her eyes and at the same time trying to smile.

Erik raised an eyebrow for what seemed to be the fifteen millionth time today, clearly seeing that she wasn't very successful at smiling. He quickly changed the subject however, and once more his silvery-green gaze darted away from her. _Why doesn't he want to look at me? _

"So, since you're going to be stuck down here a while, I'm going to tell you right now that I might be playing my organ at night."

Meg's interest was immediately piqued, and she wondered what kind of songs the dark Angel of Music played. She could sing a little bit, but she was no Christine. She was jerked out of her thoughts by a silky something rubbing itself against her leg. She looked down, and to her surprise, she saw a gray cat. A gray cat with piercing silver eyes. The cat was purring hysterically, and Meg looked up to see Erik looking at the gray cat in confusion. _Oh no. What if this isn't his cat? What if it attacks me or something?! _

"I guess you just met Ayesha," Erik muttered, looking thoroughly confused.

_Why is he confused to see his own cat? _But Meg didn't say the words out loud. Instead, she asked him, "Um, is this your cat?"

Erik's gaze darted back to her eyes, and she thought she caught a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came. "Of course," he answered mockingly. Meg fought to not glare at him. There was no need to make fun of her! "Ayesha just doesn't usually welcome strangers. Actually, she doesn't usually welcome anybody."

Meg looked down at the cat again, to find that she had curled up on Meg's foot and was purring loudly. _Strange, _she thought to herself. She looked up to Erik to ask him a question but there was no Phantom to meet her gaze. Confused, she let her eyes wander around the room, wondering how in the world he had just vanished like that. Why would he vanish like that? _Meg, you are being silly, _she chided herself silently. _There's no way any man, not even the Phantom of the Opera can just dissolve into thin air. _Even while she tried to convince herself, she knew that there was no other explanation for where Erik had gone. It's not like someone can walk into a different room in the second that Meg looked down at Ayesha then back up where Erik should have been.

Meg warily knelt down, and Ayesha immediately jumped up, yowling in protest before climbing into Meg's lap and thrusting her face against Meg's cheek. The cat's fur was so silky!

Ayesha settled down into Meg's lap, and a minute later Meg heard a soft sound coming from the gray cat. Why, she was _snoring! _Meg hadn't even known that cats snored. Of course, she was much more of a dog person, but she wasn't about to tell Ayesha that. Who knew what the cat would do. _Probably claw my eyes out, _she thought dryly. Oh well. Meg stroked Ayesha's back absentmindedly, wondering what she was expected to do now.

Erik's voice suddenly boomed into the room. "As I stated before, your room is over there. Entertain yourself, but DO NOT touch my music or organ. And if I ever catch you in my room, you will wish you had never even heard of the Phantom of the Opera. Do you understand?"

Meg was really tired of hearing nothing but threats. "Yes your highness," she muttered sarcastically, not meaning at all for Erik to overhear her. But with his keen hearing, he had of course heard every word. He was suddenly before her, his tall form requiring submission and the air of authority around him intimidating. "What did you just say Mademoiselle?" His voice was cold, without a hint of anything in it but malice. Meg gulped. Obviously she shouldn't ever be sarcastic around this Phantom of the Opera. "Nothing, Monsieur," she whispered hastily, instinctively shrinking back from his presence.

Erik nodded, and with a sweep of his cloak he disappeared into some shadow or another.

**AN: How was it? I'd really like to know what you guys think, my Phriends. Also I need a Beta for this story, so if anyone is willing to do this, please PM me. :) Thanks. Don't forget to review, please!  
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	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hi again! I am once again hoping that you guys like the last chapter. I also hope you enjoy this one! Thanks to****Lydia the tygeropean for reviewing!**

Chapter 4

Meg sighed and looked back down at Ayisha. The cat was purring, content, tail wrapped around her gray body tightly. Meg stood up and stretched, wondering what she should do now. _Something that won't annoy Erik, _her mind whispered. Meg nodded, and set off towards her room. She had a feeling that it wasn't supposed to be her room, but she was satisfied. It was better than sleeping on the cold stone floor! She walked into the bedroom. Obviously Erik had not spared anything in making this room extravagant. The bed was probably a Queen, and it was set pretty high above the ground. The pillows looked soft. She walked over to the closet, curious as to what she might find there. She opened the closet doors, and immediately her breath was taken away. About 50 silk dresses hung neatly. They were actually silk! Meg couldn't remember when she had ever worn silk before!

"You may use any of those dresses, as well as the shoes. But whatever you do, DO NOT touch any curtain you come across." Meg jumped as Erik's loud voice sailed into the room. She turned, not sure whether to expect him to be there or not. Thankfully her mind wasn't playing tricks on her and he was standing there. His face seemed to be twisted up in a frown though, and she wondered why. She turned back around, feeling uncomfortable that he was watching her. She took one of the dresses and engraved on the back, inside the dress was a name. _Christine_. Meg gasped and her eyes flew back up to meet Erik's silvery-green gaze. "You made these for Christine didn't you?" Erik quickly looked away, and didn't say anything. But Meg started to put the pieces together. Him demanding that she sing as Diva, the day she disappeared from her dressing room mysteriously, the same night her mirror was strangely open as if it was a door, Erik showing up at the Masquerade Ball and making demands from Christine, then him in Don Juan Triumphant, stealing Christine. She stalked toward Erik, her head held as high, though she still only reached his chest. "You loved her!"

Erik's looked at her dangerously, warning her to keep her mouth shut. But Meg was not one to back away from _anyone, _not even the Phantom of the Opera. "You did!" Meg gasped and stepped back, looking at Erik in shock. "You loved her! You loved her! You made her these dresses, and you…" she was suddenly forcefully muted and shoved against the closest wall. Erik was gone: the Phantom of the Opera had taken his place. There was a dangerous glint to his eyes, and his face was mere centimeters from hers. Heart pounding, Meg looked up into those silvery-green eyes, almost dreading what she would find.

"What has happened in the past will** stay in the past!**" Meg flinched as Erik shouted at her. "It is none of your business, and you will stay out of it! Especially if it has anything to do with me! Christine is nothing but the past, and that's where she will stay! I don't _ever _want to hear her name again, do you understand?!" Meg just stared at him, eyes wide in fear and mouth open. Erik shook her shoulders roughly, and shoved her against the wall harder. She could feel the rough stone scraping against her back. "I asked you a question, Miss Giry, and I expect an answer!"

She gulped back her fear and nodded. Before she could say anything, there was a _clink_ sound coming from the direction of Erik's organ. Erik quickly let go of her, once again avoiding her gaze.

Meg couldn't help but be curious. "What was that?" Erik looked sharply at her, then looked away again. "A letter." He didn't elaborate. She suddenly grew hopeful. She knew that her mother had worked for Erik for many many years. That was one of the reasons she had come down here to help him. "Do you think its from Mere?"

Erik sighed, "Possibly." He walked over to his organ, and Meg couldn't help but notice that he walked very… secretively. He stalked forward as if he was just a giant cat with two legs. He bent over, obviously picking something up. Meg was not someone with tons of patience. "Well?"

Erik glanced up at her. "Yes, it's from your mother." Meg could've shouted for joy, but then suddenly remembered that Erik probably wouldn't like that. At all. So she, simply wrung her hands, waiting impatiently for Erik to finish reading it. Why he needed to read it before her, she didn't know. She glanced back up at him, knowing he should be about finished with it. Erik suddenly gasped and stumbled back, the letter dropping from his hands and gracefully falling to the floor. Meg was in shock. Obviously there was something important in the letter that she needed to read. Something that had surprised _the Phantom of the Opera_ had to be very surprising. She quickly dashed over to where the letter had fallen, with Erik standing against the wall, breathing heavily. She gave him an odd look, not that he was looking at her anyway. She turned the letter over and started to read.

_Meg,_

_I know that you have gone to Erik. I cannot say I blame you for wanting to help him, but you should have talked to me first. Since it has been two days since I last saw you, I know that you must be trapped. Do not worry. Erik will take care of you, and he will not let any harm come to you. I am disappointed in you that you disobeyed me, but fate decided that you take another path. For this reason, I am letting you go with no grudges. I only have one request. Meg, do not ever try to remove Erik's mask. It is the very thing he uses as a shield, and without it he feels very vulnerable and unprotected. _

_Erik, _

_I know that you will keep my daughter safe. I probably won't see either of you again, but I trust that you won't let any harm come to her. I have been your faithful messenger for many years, and I hope that one day you will bring the Opera back to it's greatness. However, there is one simple request. When it comes time for Meg to marry, I ask that you take her as your wife that you may protect her always. You are the only one I trust with my daughter._

_-Margeruite_

**AN: How was it? Sorry it was later than planned, but at least it's up now! Don't forget! If you have a Facebook, look up "Mirrors2014" and like it! There are bonus things on there for this story such as pictures, and hints about the plot! Don't forget to leave me a review and let me know how I'm doing! : )**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Silence… Silence

Meg stared at the letter. How could her mother do this? How could she just plan Meg's life away? Didn't it matter to her what MEG wanted?! And what about Erik? He was still in love with Christine! She must have not been thinking when she wrote this letter. Meg gently set the letter down. To her annoyance, she realized her hand was shaking.

She looked across the room to where Erik was still standing with his back against the wall. He was staring intensely at the wall across the room, though his gaze was cloudy and unfocused. Meg stepped forward hesitantly. "Erik?"

Immediately, his stance and gaze switched to defensive. He looked down at her, and it took everything Meg had to not shrink back from his intense stare. "Are, are you okay?" she stammered. _Don't lose control Meg,_ she thought to herself. _It certainly wouldn't help this situation at all. _

Erik continued to stare at her. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then changed his mind as he snapped it closed. Without saying a word, he spun on his heel and walked into a room, probably one that had a secret tunnel in it.

Meg stared at the spot where Erik had just been. She was so confused. How was she supposed to help Erik if all he ever did was disappear?

Erik slapped his hand to his face, being careful not to disturb his mask. The last thing he needed was for Meg to see him without it on. How could she do this?!

His embarrassment had quickly escalated to anger. Who exactly did Madame Giry think she was? He was always the one giving the orders, he was the Phantom of the Opera for goodness' sake! No one told the Phantom of the Opera what to do! As soon as he found a way out of this cave, he would have to have a serious talk with her. It was hard enough to keep himself alive, without Meg here. But Meg was here, and that was escalating into a problem. She had proved herself to be very curious. How long would it be before she tried to rip his mask off like Christine did? How could Madame Giry expect him to marry Meg? He was in love with Christine! Correction: had been in love with Christine.

He had tried to love once before, and look how THAT wonderful idea turned out. The sound of footsteps told him that Meg was coming. He didn't want to face her, but it was pretty hard to stay hidden from her when all his tunnels were blocked. Why did she have to be so curious! Why did she feel that he needed saving?! He was the Phantom of the Opera, he didn't need to be brought out of his misery!

"Erik? Erik, I know you're in there. Please, can I come in?"

Erik stared at where Meg's voice came from right outside the room. There was no door. Why would she ask his permission to enter when there was no door?! It irritated him that he was even thinking about her in the first place. He sighed and threw his hands up in frusturation. "It doesn't matter what I say," he hissed. "You'll come in whether I agree to it or not!"

Meg held back a chuckle as he hissed from inside the room, "You'll come in whether I agree to it or not!" She supposed it was true though. She was only asking to be polite, but had planned on entering even if he demanded that she stay out. She walked into the room, surprised at what she saw. There was the mighty Phantom of the Opera, standing in the middle of a library. She looked around. The room was filled with books, from floor to….. well it wasn't really a ceiling was it? There was a fireplace in one corner of the room, probably to keep the chill away. Plush cushions sat on top of a couch that was shaped kind of like a Phoenix. That was a strange obsession of his. What surprised her even more, though, was the fact that about six mirrors total were in the room. Why would a man that hated his face keep a whole bunch of mirrors in his home? Was he hoping that one day he would wake up and the deformity would be gone?

Her gaze unconsciously slid to Erik. He was staring at her, his silvery-green eyes cold and unflinching. His shoulders were straight, leaning ever so slightly forward. His legs were spread apart in a defensive stance. "You don't have to be the Phantom of the Opera," she said softly, surprising even herself as the words slipped out of her mouth easily. "You can just be Erik."

Erik stood up taller, if that was possible, and stared down at her, sneering. "Oh but Mademoiselle, I AM the Phantom of the Opera. I always have been and I always will be."

She scowled at him and walked up to him, her gaze unflinching as she looked up into his eyes. "That's not true," she said, the words coming out a little more forced than planned. "You were Erik long before you were the Phantom."

Erik waved his hand dismally. "That is just a name. The Phantom of the Opera is a title."

Meg shook her head. "There's no difference. You are the same man, whether someone calls you Erik or Phantom. You are still a man, because you are certainly not a ghost."

A ghost of a smile flickered at the corner of Erik's mouth. "And how are you to prove that, Miss Giry? Through science? Because I am pretty sure that I can disappear into thin air with a snap of my fingers."

Meg started to get frustrated with him. "Because of this," she snapped, and; before Erik could stop her, her hand whipped up and ripped the mask off his face.

**AN: Oh no… Meg is in trouble now! I am so sorry it took so long to update but I have been at a kind of writers block with this story. I appreciate all your reviews. If you want to thank someone for this chapter, thank _Splendors of a Landslide. _She gave me the idea for this chapter, and I don't think it would have been up if not for her. Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Curiosity Killed the Cat

Immediately Meg was flung to the ground. Erik covered his face with his other hand, scowling at her angrily. Unlike Christine, Meg was NOT afraid of Erik and wasn't scared to make her opinion. Well, shout, in this case.

"What?" Meg snapped as she quickly stood up from the ground, brushing herself off. She stepped closer to Erik, her gaze furious as she advanced. "It's not like I haven't seen it before!"

Erik's visible eye narrowed dangerously as Meg stepped closer. "Back away from me!" He snarled, waving his other hand at her to emphasize his point. Meg frowned and childishly stomped her feet as she marched closer. Erik's eyes narrowed even more as he realized how close Meg was. He immediately backed up with his cat-like grace, his eyes wide with hurt. "Meg, why did you do this?! You know that Christine… you know she already hurt me enough! Now," he paused as his shoulders began to shake and he looked down. "you have to go on and betray my trust as well."

Meg's eyes softened as her sympathy for Erik overcame her momentary anger at him. "Erik, please," she begged, her voice cracking while she held back tears. "Please, put your hand down."

Erik glanced up at her, then looked back down again, as he started to sob ever so slightly. "I can't," he whispered in defeat, "no one deserves to see the face of the monster behind this mask. Not now, not ever."

Meg stepped closer and gently put her hand on his arm. Erik immediately jerked back, his eyes wide in distress. "Erik…" her voice was so soft, so soothing. Erik backed away again, and shielded his face with both hands. "No, Meg. Please, just go."

"Erik…."

"GO!"

Meg sighed and slowly turned around to leave. But before she walked out of the room, she whispered, "I don't care what your face looks like. It's the heart that matters."

… … … … … … … … … … …

Erik sighed in relief as Meg turned and walked out of the door. He started to reach for his mask but froze when Meg suddenly stopped. "I don't care what your face looks like," she whispered. "It's the heart that matters."

Erik's eyes widened as he watched Meg walk out of the room. He quickly took the mask in his hand, and walked over to one of his many mirrors. "Why can't I be normal," he whimpered pitifully. "Why was I cursed with such a face… the face of a monster that no one could love; would dare to love." He looked at himself in the mirror and gently touched the ruined side of his face. "If I were normal, Christine would not have left. If I were normal, she would have willingly married me. If I were normal…" he suddenly stopped as anger replaced the sadness in him. "But I'm not normal!" he shouted angrily, pounding his fist on a nearby table. "I was cursed with a face too monsterous for a woman to love! I repulsed my own mother so much that she sold me to the Gypsy's! I was thrown into a cage and beaten like an animal, for other's entertainment!" He quickly replaced the mask and turned away from the mirror sharply.

… … … … … … … … … … …

Meg had stopped just outside the door, to listen to Erik. Her hand unknowingly fluttered to her heart when she heard that his own mother was repulsed by him. Why was the world such a cruel place? Why did success matter on how your face looked? Why, oh why, did this have to happen to Erik! She sank to her knees, letting the sobs overcome her as she cried over what Erik had been through.

She didn't realize that Erik had come back and was watching her. She jumped when he spoke. "So I repulse you too, is that it?" His voice was merely a snarl of anger and fury and deep, deep pain. "You're crying over the nightmare of my face as well, aren't you?"

Meg looked up at him, her face stained with tears. "No, Erik," she whispered and stood up, suddenly feeling shy and uncomfortable as Erik's gaze bore into hers. She stepped closer and gently put her hands on top of his. "I'm not crying because of your face," she whispered. "I'm crying for…" She stopped and wiped her tears away as she looked up into those silver-green eyes. "I'm crying because you didn't deserve any of that. You're a human, just like they are. How would THEY feel," her voice turned bitter, "if they were tossed into a cage and beaten? They would never have done that to themselves! But just because you're a little different…"

Erik stiffened at that and glared daggers at the wall. "A little different? Meg, you don't understand! You don't understand what it's like to have a face so ruined that every time you go out people mock you! You don't know how it feels when little children look at your hideously deformed face and cry!"

Meg stood up, and silently wrapped her arms around him. "Shhhh," she comforted, still sobbing slightly.

Erik stood frozen in shock. No one had ever gone out of their way to give him a hug before! All of a sudden, his moment of weakness was gone; to be replaced with the Phantom. He gently took Meg's hands off of him, and stepped back. With a bow and swish of his cape, he disappeared into darkness once more.

**AN: I am so sorry! This chapter was meant to come out like… three weeks ago! Anyways, I'm really sorry for that. Thanks so much to all who reviewed! RedDeathLover, I'm so glad you've reviewed my story! That means a lot to me that you seem to like it. :) Anyways, hopefully the next chapter will be out on Friday. I'm going to try to update every Friday… we'll see how that goes. Oh, and while you're at it, you might as well just be on Fanfiction for 30 more seconds to write a review? ;) Review please!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Man Behind the Monster

Meg stood in shock where Erik had just left her in mere seconds. She slowly turned around to try to figure out where he went, the tears still streaming down her face. "E- Erik?" She asked softly. She quickly wiped the tears running down her eyes, making her eyesight blurry. She blinked and looked around her once again, just to be sure that he had really disappeared.

Meg sighed and walked over to the room that was made for Christine. She sat upon the bed, lost in thought as she stared up at nothing_. How could Erik have survived all he went through?_ Meg thought numbly to herself._ First the beginning of his life started out horrible, but then he had come to the Opera and just had to fall in love. He fell in love, but SHE never saw it. All she saw was how horrible Erik's face was, how terrible his temper got, how possessive he was of HER. _

"It's not fair," she murmured out loud.

"Life isn't fair."

Meg jumped off the bed in surprise, and turned to see Erik standing in the doorway. "Erik?" she asked calmly, even though she could see it was him. Who else would be wearing a white half mask?

Erik blinked at her. "I didn't mean to overhear your private conversation with yourself, but I wanted to tell you that I have prepared some food for you."

Meg smiled softly. "You didn't have to do that for me, Erik." She glanced at her feet before looking back up at Erik. "But thank you for being so thoughtful."

Erik nodded briskly, and after bowing, he swept his cape and walked away. Meg quickly followed him, and looked at the table to see what she was going to eat.

"I wasn't sure if you liked fish or not," Erik murmured softly, "but it tastes pretty good."

Meg nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Erik. I love fish." Her smile suddenly turned to a frown when she realized that there was only enough food for one person. "Erik?" She asked, turning to him. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Erik quickly shook his head, his eyes avoiding hers. "No, I'm not that hungry."

Meg walked over to him and gently laid a hand on his arm. "Erik, that can't be true. Please," her large light brown eyes pleaded with him. "You don't have to lie to me, Erik."

Erik and sighed and gently took Meg's hand off his arm. He then pointed to his mask. "I can't eat very comfortably with this on. It rubs against the skin, tearing off whatever the excuse of skin I have left."

Meg blinked back tears, the sadness of it all nearly overcoming her. "Erik, I have seen your face, and I don't believe it's as bad as you make it out to be. Please, will you eat with me?"

Erik's face hardened. "No."

Meg sighed, knowing when she was beaten. "Fine. If you won't eat with me, will you at least sit down at the table while I eat?"

Erik glanced at her, and she saw his jaw tighten. But instead of turning away, he nodded briskly and sat down in the chair across from Meg's.

Meg smiled. _Now, for the hard part. _"Erik?" She asked when she had finished all her food.

Erik simply looked up at her, raising his eyebrow questioningly.

"Can… Can I take off your mask?"

Erik's eyes widened and he scooted his chair away from Meg. "Why?" He snarled angrily, standing up from the chair, letting it fall over. "So you can stare at this hideous face and mock it as everyone else did?!"

This made Meg angry. "How dare you compare me to those other people! I don't want to mock you're face! I would never do something to you like that, Erik! I actually have some compassion in me! I care about you, Erik!"

Erik's eyes narrowed and Meg blushed as she realized what she had said and quickly corrected herself. "As a friend, of course."

Erik nodded sharply. "Of course." He sat down, watching Meg warily as she came closer.

Meg was taking her time, not wanting to bring out the Phantom in Erik. She slowly reached for the mask… and gently lifted it off his face. "There," she said softly as she set it carefully on the table. She looked into Erik's eyes, her gaze full of compassion. "I'm sure that feels a lot better, doesn't it, Erik?"

Erik could only nod as he carefully watched Meg's face for any hint of fear or repulsion. But, of course, it never came. "You know, Erik, you're face really isn't that bad. I'll bet that if you left the mask off longer, then the redness would go away."

Erik frowned. "And what do you care?" he asked bitterly, as he snatched the mask off the table and quickly put it back on his face.

Meg's brown eyes filled with hurt at that statement. "Erik, why must you always assume the worst from people?"

Erik narrowed his eyes, his gaze full of hatred suddenly. "When you lived the life I have," he snarled, "You learn that no one is ever worthy of your trust. I trusted HER, and look at what happened with that!"

He didn't even see it coming when Meg gently took the mask off his face again. He quickly grabbed her hand roughly, probably bruising the skin. "What do you think you're doing?!" He roared angrily, his gaze piercing.

Meg stubbornly held onto the mask, her eyes matching Erik's intensity. "I am looking past the 'monster' to see the man that is cowering underneath it."

… … … … … … … … … … …

Erik felt his brain almost exploded from that information. "What is this foolishness you are speaking of, Meg?" He snapped angrily.

Meg's eyes seemed to pierce right through the darkness of his soul, trying to find the light that she thought was there. "Oh, you have a terrible temper," she snapped, "but underneath that and the ferociousness you call 'The Phantom' is a man that is full of nothing but scars from the past. You're hurting, Erik, and don't you dare try to tell me otherwise!"

Erik stepped back in shock, unable to even think of anything to say in return to her.

Meg's eyes softened and she handed him back the mask without a word. "Erik, however you're feeling," she whispered, her eyes never leaving his, "I want you to know that I will never shun you. I will never cower or run away in fear, and I will never **ever** betray your trust. Whatever you need, I will always be here for you."

With that being said, she turned away and walked back into her bedroom.

**AN: Wow. I absolutely loved writing this chapter. I almost couldn't stop my fingers from typing more, but I have to save it for the next chapter! Many many thanks to all of those that reviewed! I appreciate it soooo much! You guys are awesome readers! I'm so pleased, I could almost update on Monday…. Wait a minute! How does this sound to you readers:**

**If I can get 9 reviews by Monday, I will update on Monday instead of Friday! If you give me more than 9 reviews by Monday, I will update on both Monday and Friday. :) **

**Remember! It has to be 9 reviews, or I won't update until Friday. ;)**

**((REVIEW for an early chapter)) **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Plan Begins

Meg collapsed on her bed, breathing heavily and trying to stop the tears from running down her eyes. _I can't believe I just did that,_ she thought to herself. _What was I thinking?! He could have killed me! _She started sobbing quietly, at last giving into the emotions torturing her heart as she was talking to Erik. Somehow she knew that he wasn't going to kill her, but how could she know for sure? She had only been trapped under the burnt Opera House for a little less than a week.

"It does me no good to sit here and feel sorry for Erik," she said out loud bitterly, "he will never listen to me, and all it does is hurt me more."

She pounded her fist against the mattress, furious with Erik but also with herself for trying to interfere. "He never listens to me! He won't ever listen to me, because he thinks of himself as a monster!" She felt the tears sliding down her cheeks again and angrily wiped them away. _I have to get a hold of myself! Acting like a spoiled child is NOT the way to get to Erik!_ She sniffed and straightened the messed-up cover on the mattress, smoothing out the wrinkles as she furrowed her brow in concentration. _How can I reach Erik? Obviously not by crying for him, or begging him to see past the things he has done in his past, or how deformed his face is, or how Christine abandoned him when he needed her the most…._ _Wait a minute! That's it! Christine abandoned Erik when he was crying for her, and when he was practically begging her to say, even though he ordered her to leave him. _A smirk slowly spread over her features, and she pushed back a strand of blonde hair away from her face and started planning it out in her mind… She would reach Erik, if it took every last breath she had ever had.

… … … … … … …

Erik paced the floor of his music room. Why had he let Meg try to console him?! He was losing his touch! He was the PHANTOM, not some homeless boy crying for his mommy! That insolent girl! He would teach her to interfere with his life! It was none of her business how he felt, or how he might still be hurting. He whipped around, ready to storm into the room that Meg was in, (he refused to call it Christine's but it certainly wasn't Meg's room either) and tell her just how he felt about her messing with his emotions and trying to 'help' him! He started towards the door, but paused when he heard something. His attentive ears picked up the sounds of crying.

Erik groaned and sat down, letting his head fall into his hands. _Of course she was crying! You can't stare at a face as hideous as mine and not cry for hours afterwards! My own mother cried herself to sleep every night, crying out to God why she had to have a son so hideous! _

Suddenly the noises coming from the direction of the room Meg was in stopped. Erik lifted his head and arched an eyebrow in puzzlement. He listened closely for any more movement or sobbing, but there was only the sound of the cover on the mattress being smoothed down. _Probably cried herself to sleep, _he thought bitterly.

He suddenly became very angry at himself. _What are you doing you fool! You let her get to you! It's not going to be this way anymore! No, she's living in my house, and she's going to abide by MY rules! There will be no more one-sided heartfelt talks to each other! There will be no more shows of weakness! You have brought upon yourself a dangerous game, Madamoiselle Meg Giry!_ He scowled and quickly leapt up from where he was sitting. _Then let the games begin, Madamoiselle, because the Phantom NEVER loses! I will not give in to your pity!_

With a dramatic sweep of his cloak, even though no one was there, he stormed back to his music room.

… … … … … … …

The next morning, as Meg was tying back her hair with one of the ribbons that were meant for Christine, she thought about her plan. She lazily twirled the purple ribbon between her fingers, too busy scheming to seriously think about getting herself presentable.

When she realized her mind was totally over thinking the plan, she sighed and set the brush down.

_First things first, _she thought to herself, picking up the ribbon once again, _I need to make myself presentable. It's not like I can exactly go out there looking like a rat has been making a nest of my hair. _Quickly she gathered a few pieces of her hair from the front of her head, and twisted them, then tied them tight with the ribbon.

She turned to the closet. _Now, what I choose to wear is going to have a big difference on how quickly I win this little game. _

She thoughtfully fingered one of the expensive dresses, a beautiful cream-colored one. _What would Erik's favorite color be? _She smirked at the thought of Erik even having a favorite color, but one had to go to extreme measures when playing such a dangerous game.

All of a sudden, it came to her. _Of course! _She quickly reached past the cream- colored dress, a purple one after that, and then past a pretty emerald one. No, ignoring the beautiful colors and expensive trims and laces, she found the dress she had been searching for.

It was a beautiful dress. It was a black color, with silver trimmings on the collar, edge of the dress, and sleeves. On the bottom of the dress, the silver came up from the hem to form beautiful swirls. The bottom of the dress was full, and the waist snug but not too much. The neck line reached up to her collarbone, and the sleeves flared open at the end of her wrists. It was perfect.

… … … … … … …

Erik frowned, glancing at his watch yet another time. _Where is she?_ He thought and sighed in frusturation, glaring at the door to the room Meg was still in. Breakfast had been served over half an hour ago, and still no sign of the young blonde ballerina. _I wish she would come out already, _he thought to himself. The door opened at last and he glared at the blonde ballerina walking out of the room, ready to give her a lecture about being prompt. As Meg came out and he saw her fully, he could only think of one thing, as he was speechless.

_Be careful what you wish for, or it might come true. _

**AN: Oooooh! How exciting! Meg has something up her sleeve….. Hmmm. Anyways, I am so very sorry. I missed last week's update, and I feel horrible for it. However, to make it up to you, I'm going to update twice next week (hopefully anyway). Thanks for hanging in with me, and many thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter! I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this story. :) Oh, and if any of you want to see Meg's dress, PM me and I'll send you a picture of the closest one I could find! :D**

**Once again, I apologize for the late chapter. But don't let this affect you're reviews! I absolutely love every one of them! Please review this chapter. :)**

**((REVIEW))**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Be Careful What You Wish For…

Meg fought back a smirk as she saw the look of surprise written all over the left side of Erik's face. Her triumph was short lived, however; as Erik quickly put his Phantom façade on and glared at her.

"Meg Giry, you have disappointed me greatly." Meg fought to keep her eyes from rolling upwards. She knew she was about to receive a Phantom lecture, but hopefully it would be over soon.

"I make your meals, make sure you are warm and comfortable, make certain that you have a place to sleep, make sure that you have clean clothes to wear –of the latest fashion, I might add –have ribbons to keep your hair pulled back, shared my cat with you, and this is how I am repayed? With you being a half hour late and then dressed as if you're going to some Masquerade ball?"

Meg sighed and counted to two before trying to speak. "There is a reason I am late,"

"Ah yes! There is always a reason," Erik growled, still glaring at her.

Meg glared right back, even though she knew this wasn't part of her plan. "I wasn't feeling too good, and took a nap. However, I woke up late. I grabbed the first dress that caught my eye and quickly tied my hair back with these ribbons." She stared at Erik defiantly, daring him to comment on how extravagant the dress was that she chose 'at first glance' and how meticulously her hair was tied back.

Erik looked at Meg straight in the eye. "Really? Because I know where all of those dresses were, I hung them up myself. And that one was in the VERY back, hidden by all the rest of the dresses. And to think that you just happened to choose the most inconvenient one to reach…"

Finally Meg lost it. "Enough!" she snapped, her eyes piercing, "I'm dressed aren't I? My hair is tied back, isn't it? I am standing here, waiting for you to let me eat, and all you can think about is how I was thirty minutes late to dinner? Might I add," her tone turned sarcastic, "that you have no other place to be and no other duties calling you that would make my tardiness cause a problem?"

Erik couldn't say anything against her argument and simply whipped around and gestured to the table, before storming off to his music room.

… … … … … … … … … …

Erik quickly sat down on his piano bench as soon as he got into his music room and away from Meg's piercing eyes. Her straight blonde hair had fallen around her shoulders perfectly, and the dress was practically made for her… _Stop it! _He scolded himself, furious. _She is only here because she pities you! As soon as the tunnel entrance is somehow unblocked, she will leave without a second thought or even a 'thank you,' just as Christine had! _

At night he had secretly been picking away at the blocked entrance, though to no avail. Even though he didn't want to, he knew that today he would have to tell Meg about the secret tunnel that would be her way to escape from him. He'd been keeping it a secret ever since she got here. He chuckled bitterly. _I am so pitiful. Not telling Meg about the secret tunnel exit just because I'm afraid of my loneliness. Ha! Well, I have lived most of my life without anyone to pity me, and I can simply do it again! No more of this silly little game and trying to reach my cold heart. I will tell her of the tunnel, and she will leave me to my peace and sanity. _

If only he knew where Madame Giry had gone, he could have directed Meg to her mother and forgotten about everything. But of course, Madame Giry had not told where she was in the note, only simply that she believed that he should marry Meg! _How ridiculous, _he thought bitterly. _No one would marry me. Christine didn't even agree though her fiancé's life was in threat of being ended. She only agreed to save his life. No, I am to be forever single, and maybe that's the way it should be. Every time I try to love somebody, my heart only gets broken in the end. So let that be my lesson: Don't ever love anyone ever again. And now, I must stop thinking so hard about this and send Meg Giry scampering down that escape tunnel._

… … … … … … … … … …

Meg had finished her dinner and was just finishing off the rest of her tea when Erik walked in, once again the perfect picture of control and menace at the same time. She smiled quickly at him, hoping to apologize for her behavior. However, she didn't even hardly get to open her mouth to speak before Erik started talking.

"I have been keeping something from you, Meg, and I believe it is time that you should know." Meg's heart quickened, and her brain was running a thousand miles a minute, trying to figure out what he was trying to tell her that he had been keeping.

"There is another way out of this wretched place."

Meg knew she should have been relieved at this news, but; for some reason, she felt her heart sink and she reluctantly stood up. "I suppose you're going to show me?"

Erik nodded, not in the least bit surprised that she seemed to want to know how to get away from him. "This way." He waited for Meg to fall into place behind him before starting off. He walked into his music room, and glared at the curious ballerina when she tried to see what was written on one of the many sheets of music he had scattered about the room. "If you're done snooping, Madamoiselle," he snapped, angry at her for being so curious, "then you might follow me to your way to the light."

Meg gulped and nodded. "Sorry," she murmured, but got no response from the man in front of her. Not that she was expecting one anyway.

Erik walked right past the piano and Meg started to get confused. "Wait a minute," she said, grabbing his arm (which he promptly snatched back). "You're about to run into the wall, and I'm pretty sure you could get hurt by doing that. I mean, I've never done it before, but it would just make sense that if you run into things you're probably going to get hurt, and I just thought…" she stopped rambling when Erik held up a gloved hand, gesturing for her to stop talking.

Erik sighed and a hint of a smile tugged at his mouth. "Oh you are such a young, foolish child," he cooed softly. "Some things are just illusions; images that you're mind has conjured up."

Meg could only blink in confusion and gasped loudly when Erik walked right through the 'wall'. "What? How did you…"

Erik chuckled and stuck his hand in the middle of the 'wall.' "As I said, Madamoiselle. Some things are simply illusions. Not everything is as it seems. Now," his voice hardened and all trace of amusement was swept from his face. "enough questions and just follow me."

Meg did as he ordered, though she hated being ordered around. It was only about one minute later and Erik gestured to another wall.

"That, Madmoiselle," he said quietly, "is your door to freedom."

Meg's face twisted into a frown and she looked at Erik, utterly confused. "How?" She asked, staring at the wall. "There's no handle."

Once again, amusement crossed over the Phantom's features and he promptly stomped on a rock that was lying next to the wall. The wall soundlessly slid back, revealing the outside of the Opera Populaire.

"Wow," Meg sighed, and looked at Erik with admiration. "You are a genius to have created all of this."

Erik nodded, and quickly turned around, expecting Meg to dash off into the light and leave him behind. But he was surprised when Meg whipped around and grabbed his hand.

"Wait a minute," she said, "where are you going?"

For a moment Erik was confused. "Back to my lair, of course. There's no reason for me to bid you goodbye, because I'm expecting you to just dash off and leave me."

All Meg could do was glare at him in anger, about ready to yell. "What?! I would never leave you behind like that! After all you've done for me, you think that I would abandon you without a second thought? NO way! I'm staying here with you. I have no clue where Maman is, but I know that her wish was for me to stay with you."

Erik turned sharply to look at her, his eyes hard and cold as stone. "Well excuse me, Madmoiselle," he apologized snidely, "but I expected you to be like some other person and just leave me."

"Well I'm not like Christine!" Meg snapped, stepping closer to him in her anger. "She was rude and absolutely heartless to leave you like she did! The least she could have done was stayed with you until you were able to live in peace, without threat of the Mob tearing you apart!"

"They wouldn't have found me," Erik snapped, a hint of pride in his voice. He quickly resumed his sentence…"Ah, but she didn't, did she!" Erik snapped right back at her, and suddenly Meg felt herself being shoved against the real tunnel wall and Erik's face being right in hers. "No, she left poor me all by myself! I've lived by myself for years, though; its not like a monster with no heart can be hurt, now can I?"

Meg knew she was in a dangerous position, but she didn't really care at the moment. "STOP IT!" She screamed, tears running down her eyes. "You are NOT a monster!"

Erik chuckled darkly, pushing her harder against the wall, causing the stones to scrape her back. "Oh, but I am, Madamoiselle! I assure you, I am!"

Meg felt the tears streaming down her eyes and falling to the floor, but all she knew was that Erik was hurting, so he was covering it with his 'scary Phantom' façade once again.

"Believe me, I am…."

Meg looked to the right, towards the far side of the tunnel, where Erik's voice had appeared to come from.

Erik chuckled, this time the sound coming from her left. Meg whipped her head around, even though she knew that Erik was standing right in front of her.

"Oh, Madamoiselle, do not be scared! Surely you have heard of my great abilities to sound like I am where I'm not?"

Meg started sobbing quietly, wanting nothing but to get away from the Phantom until he returned to his normal self. All of a sudden, Erik backed up, his eyes wide. She slid to the floor, ungraciously landing in a heap. She quickly righted herself and stared at the man cowering in the corner.

"What have I done?" he murmured, letting his face fall into his hands.

Meg didn't wait another second. She dashed past him and out the open door to the light.

… … … … … … … … … …

Erik sank to the cold floor of the tunnel, welcoming the darkness once again as the secret door slid soundlessly shut.

_And now she has gone. Left you for good, because you can't control you're terrible temper. She was going to stay with you, even though she could leave freely. But no, you had to go and mess everything up, and now you will truly be forever alone. _

**AN: Wow, what a chapter! Do you think Meg has left for good? Or will she return? I guess we'll have to see in the next chapter. :) **

**Thanks to all that reviewed the last chapter! This story is riding on your reviews, literally! They give me the urging I need to do the next chapter. **

**Please Review! **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Shenanigans and Rat-igans

Meg didn't know where she was going. Not that she cared anyway. All she knew was that she had to get away from the Phantom until he had calmed down. Tears were still streaming down her face, even though she had been running for ten minutes.

Finally, she had to stop. She was gasping for air, and her side was starting to cramp. She slowed down and started to take in her surroundings, trying to figure out where she was. There were no landmarks that she recognized. She hadn't really ever been outside of the Opera house before. The only few times she had; she had been with her mother, who had always known exactly where she was. There were tons of people around, but she didn't recognize anyone. But that was no surprise: she had been living in the Opera since she was little. Deciding that she had to eventually ask for directions, she walked up to a lady with the reddest hair she had ever seen. Even Carlotta's hair didn't compare to this lady's! Politely she waited until the lady noticed her. "Bonjour," she said quickly, as the lady gave her a look of annoyance. "je suis désolé de vous interrompre, mais je suis perdu." (Hello, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm lost.)

The lady stared at her for a moment, then hesitantly replied, "C'est bon. où vous essayez d'aller?" (It's okay. Where are you trying to go?)

Meg smiled quickly at the woman and wiped any trace of tears from her eyes. " L'opéra garnier. je vis là-bas, et je n'ai pas été à l'extérieur de celui-ci, très souvent." (The opera garnier. I live there, and I haven't been outside of it very often.)

The woman looked at her blankly, then started chuckling. Meg was started to get hurt, but then she realized how silly that would be. Here she was, a ballerina that had lived in the Opera her whole life, and as soon as she exits it, can't find the building! Meg started to chuckle as well, and the two of them stood there, chuckling, while other people just stared.

The woman finally was able to speak, though she was still chuckling. "Je suis désolé, c'est juste très drôle pour moi." (I'm sorry, it's just very funny to me.)

Meg smiled and shook her head in protest. "Pas; je suis d'accord. il est assez hilarant!" (No; I agree. It is rather hilarious.)

The woman chuckled again, and patted Meg's shoulder comfortingly. "Vous n'êtes pas loin de tout. l'opéra est à seulement quelques pâtés de maisons. vous êtes sur la Rue de Surène, et l'opéra est de la Rue Scribe. Il suffit de demander un coach pour vous prendre." (You're not far from it at all. The Opera is only a few blocks away. You're on Rue de Surène, and the Opera is on Rue Scribe. Just ask a coach to take you.)

Meg slapped her hand to her forehead and started chuckling again. "Bien sûr! Pourquoi avais-je pas pensé? Merci, Madame!" (Of course! why hadn't I thought of that? thank you, Ma'am!)

The woman gave Meg a friendly smile. "Vous êtes les bienvenus cher." (You're welcome dear.)

Meg smiled again and started walking toward the street once again. Once she had finally gotten a coach, she quickly explained where she was going. "Me prendre à l'opéra garnier, s'il vous plaît. Je suis plutôt pressé, trop." (Take me to the opera garnier, please. I'm rather in a hurry too.)

The coachman simply nodded and it wasn't long after that the all-familiar Opera Garnier came into view. "Merci," she told the coachman and handed him a few coins. The man took it greedily, and Meg quickly hopped out of the coach, refusing to accept the man's hand. She quickly lifted up the skirts of her black and silver dress off the ground, and dashed to the main entrance. She quickly tried to open the door, only to find it locked. Praying that the entrance to Erik's underground lair would still be open, she quickly walked to it.

"Now where would the secret lock mechanism thingy be out here?" she wondered out loud. Obviously it would be hidden, and not easy for anyone to notice, either. But at the same time it would have to be obvious enough that no one would suspect anything. Of course the whole door blended in with the side of the Opera, making it appear as if it were just another piece of wall. But having seen it (and already used it), Meg knew better. Trying to figure out exactly where the door was going to be was the hardest of all to do. Meg felt along the wall, searching for any slight difference of texture. Of course, her unskilled hands found no fault in the seemingly perfect wall and she wondered if maybe she was in the wrong place.

Growing frusturated, she pounded on the wall angrily. To her greatest surprise, the secret door slid soundlessly open and she was able to enter inside. Warily she looked around; just to make sure that no one was watching. To her relief, there wasn't, and she was able to slip inside unnoticed. She tried to see if Erik was still on the floor or not, but her eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness of the tunnel yet. Annoying as it was, she knew that she couldn't wait for her eyes to adjust before figuring out whether Erik was still here or if she needed to find her way back to his lair.

She felt along the sides of the wall, halfway praying that Erik would be in his lair, if only not to scare her to death by popping out from one of the many shadowy areas in the tunnel. Of course, the whole tunnel, was dark; but some corners appeared to be darker than the rest of the tunnel.

Keeping her right hand on the side of the wall, she hastily snatched it back to her side when she felt cobwebs. Smacking her hands together, she prayed that there was no spider in that particular cobweb. Of course that would be the moment when a rat would dart out from a corner and run across her foot.

… … … … … … … … … …

Erik was on his way back to his lair, regret still hanging in his mind like a cloud on a rainy day. He might as well accept his fate and just go lay down and sleep until the pain had gone away. He was just about to turn into the tunnel that led to the way home when he heard a bloodcurdling scream.

**AN: Sorry, but then again, I'm not sorry. :) I'm pretty sure you all know why he would have heard a bone-chilling scream in the tunnel that both he and Meg happened to be in. ;)**

**A day-early update for my wonderful reviewers! (Yay!)**

**Anyways, thank you all for you're reviews! I think I've made a new record: 4 reviews for one chapter! Yay! I really do appreciate your support, and I am utterly delighted that you guys are enjoying this story. In fact, I'm so delighted that I already have ideas for the sequel! **

**Wait, what am I talking about?! I need to get this story finished first before I can start thinking of a sequel! :D Okay I'm done chattering now. **

**((Please Review))**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Think Before You Speak… Or Scream

Meg shrieked at the top of her lungs as she felt the ugly rat's paws run across her foot. She jumped into the air, shaking her foot, and screamed again. The screaming didn't seem to help the rat out, though. The confused rodent switched direction and once again ran over her foot. Meg let out another blood-curdling scream, and wrapped her arms tight around herself as she stomped her feet, trying to get rid of the feeling of the rat running across her foot.

Meg was crying by now, and she slowly backed up against the tunnel wall, only to jump away from it with a shriek when she felt another cobweb. Not knowing what else to do, she stood in the middle of the tunnel, stomping her feet and sobbing hysterically. When she thought she felt something on her foot, she couldn't stop the scream when it came once again. But this time the shriek chilled even Meg's bones.

_Erik must really be on the other side of the Opera to not have heard me by now, _she thought to herself, a tad bit confused as to why her "Knight in Shining Armor" hadn't shown up yet.

… … … … … … … … … …

Erik raced through the tunnel back to where the scream had come from. If it was Meg and something had harmed her…. He felt the adrenaline flowing through his brains as he ran faster than he ever had in his whole long, miserable life. He couldn't get his legs to carry him fast enough to get back to where the bone-chilling scream had come from.

Finally, he dashed into the tunnel that led to the outside door, hoping fervently that if it was Meg, that she had not been harmed in any way.

He was running so fast, that he nearly collided with the person that had screamed. Unknowingly, his hand automatically reached toward the Punjab Lasso hanging at his side. Before he could even grab it to wrap it around this person's neck, he had the biggest surprise of his life.

… … … … … … … … … …

As soon as Meg saw a shape moving fast towards her in the dark, she knew it just HAD to be Erik. Who else would be running at break-neck speed in a tunnel darker than the night? Before she had even had the chance to think about what she was doing, she flung her arms around Erik, sobbing hysterically into his shirt.

… … … … … … … … … …

Not knowing what else to do, and feeling very awkward himself, Erik hesitantly patted the poor sobbing ballerina's shoulder before gently pushing her away from him.

"Meg, what happened?" he asked softly, trying to figure out why in the world she would have been screaming like that when obviously there was no one that had attacked her. It made his blood race to even think about someone attacking Meg, though he had no reason why he should feel so protective of her.

When the blonde ballerina wouldn't answer (probably due to the sobs that were still coming out of her mouth), he asked again, "Meg, what happened? Are you hurt?"

Meg silently shook her head 'no,' but still refused to speak. Therefore, Erik grabbed her shoulder gently so that she was facing towards him once again. "Meg, you need to stop crying so that you can tell me what happened."

… … … … … … … … … …

Meg tried to stifle her sobs, really she did. But for some reason they wouldn't stop coming. She had no clue why she was still crying, when Erik was right in front of her, but she guessed it had something to do with the fear that she had just felt when that ugly rat had ran across her foot.

Stifling yet another sob, she gulped down the lump in her throat long enough to answer Erik. "It was terrible…. Oh Erik, I was so scared!" Once again she let her body act without thinking and let her arms wrap themselves around Erik yet again.

Erik quickly shoved her arms off of him, and backed away. "Meg, why were you scared? What scared you?"

Meg looked up at him with her eyes burning, and finally was able to fight back the sob that was rising up in her throat again.

"It was… a rat," she finally blurted out, the tears falling down her face at simply saying the horrid creature's name.

… … … … … … … … … …

"A _rat?_" Erik asked incredulously. All of this sobbing and screaming over a rat?

Meg nodded, not daring to lift her tear-stained eyes to meet his own blazing gaze. "You mean to tell me," he growled; stepping forward threateningly, "that all of this screaming and scaring me half to death was over a rat?!"

Meg nodded again, and let her head fall down in shame. Shaking his head in disbelief, Erik fought to keep back the yells that wanted so badly to come out of his throat. "I can't believe it," he muttered. "you screamed because a rat ran over your foot, and now you're still sobbing about it?"

Finally he realized that maybe scolding her wasn't the best way to get her to stop crying. "Meg, the rat is gone now," he said softly, letting his voice drop in pitch. "It's gone back to wherever it came from, and it's not going to run over your foot again."

Meg wiped her eyes with her hand, and Erik was horrified to see how blood shot they were. Yes, the tunnel might have been very dark, but his eyesight was better than most humans. Besides, living a life in complete and total darkness put that in his favor as well.

Suddenly it was as if Erik was snapped back from another world. He suddenly remembered what had happened before all of this, in the same exact tunnel. Showing Meg the way for her to escape from him, then letting his temper get the best of him, shoving Meg against the wall, her sobbing in fear, then finally her running away from him out into the light, to never return.

His voice was low and dangerous. "Madamoiselle Meg Giry," he snarled, "what do you think you're doing, in my tunnel, when you just ran away in fear less than an hour ago?"

**AN: Duh duh duh! I seem to be in love with cliff hangers, don't I? Don't worry though! You only have to wait until next week to find out how Meg's going to wriggle her way out of this one! **

**Many thanks once again to those who reviewed the last chapter. This story is only going on because of you're faithful reviewing! Speaking of reviews…**

**((REVIEW pleeeeeaaaassse?))**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Think Before Speak

Meg didn't know what to say. What could she say? There was only two options. Well, three, actually; if you counted running away an action. She could tell him that she got frightened because she didn't know anything outside of the Opera, but that was a lie. Sort of, anyway.

She finally decided to tell him the truth. "Because…"

.. … … … … … … … .. …

Erik was considering dragging Meg down to his lair and making her tell him when she looked at him straight in the eye. He stepped back, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Because…"

Erik resisted the urge to roll his eyes. " 'Because' is not an answer, Madamoiselle Meg Giry and you know it!"

Meg narrowed her eyes and took a step forward, resulting in sending Erik back a few steps. "Let me finish!"

Erik sighed and motioned with his hand for her to go on.

"Because I love you."

Erik's eyes widened in surprise and he stumbled against the cool, slightly damp tunnel wall. There was no way Meg could have said what he had just heard. Surely it was just his imagination. No woman had ever loved him: his own mother refused to let herself love him. Christine only agreed to marry him out of pity, not love. Why would Meg torture him like this? Didn't she know the pain he had gone through his whole life? The torment, the cruel jokes.

_"No woman would _ever_ love you!" _

The sentence, so cruelly tossed at him; a poor boy of 12, as he lay helpless on the ground, rang through his head. Suddenly he gave in to the anger stirring up within him like a tornado.

He straightened up so fast he was sure that Meg had no idea what was coming.

… … … … … … … .. … …

Meg felt herself being thrown against the wall for the second time that day. _I really need to start thinking before I speak, or my back is going to end up with scars criss-crossing it from being shoved against the wall, _she thought dryly.

Erik was in her face, his voice low and dangerous, and he spoke with so much venom in his voice that Meg struggled to not shiver from just the anger evident in it.

"Don't you DARE torture me in this way, Meg Giry!"

Meg winced as she was forced even harder against the wall, and looked into Erik's eyes pleadingly. She was about to speak when she stopped and just looked into his eyes.

Tons of different emotions were swirling in his enchanting blue-green eyes that it took Meg a minute to identify them. Fury and Helplessness were only a couple. The most prominent, however, took Meg's breath away.

Beyond the fury and other flurry of emotions, Meg saw hurt.

Of course! Everything Erik knew was lies! Lies, lies, lies, and more lies. His whole life was filled with nothing more than lies and betrayal!

First, his mother. Meg didn't know everything about the infamous Phantom of the Opera, but having her mother being his messenger certainly helped things. Ever since Meg had learned that her mother had been helping the Phantom for years, she tortured poor Madame Giry until her curiosity was satisfied.

Second, the Gypsies definitely had not been kind to him: this Meg knew for sure. After all, her mother had to tell her that she had rescued him from that hideous web of… lies.

Third, the Shah of Persia was not known for his kindness and gentleness to those that worked for him. Madame Giry had described the Persian King calling Erik the "Angel of Death," and the "Angel of Trapdoors."

Making people die had been Erik's specialty. And if he didn't do it just the way the Shah had wanted it, then he was beaten. Meg's mother said that the Shah's perfect way of introducing a punishment to Erik had been something about he had a present for Erik.

So all of Erik's life had been filled with lies. It was no wonder that he didn't trust what Meg was trying to tell him now.

And of course she couldn't forget the biggest lie of all: Christine.

Christine had thought of Erik as her "Angel of Music," which was quite understandable. After all, he had led her on and given her singing lessons through the walls in the Opera's Chapel. Meg was almost positive there was a secret tunnel that led down there.

And then when Christine had learned that her "Angel of Music" was actually the Phantom of the Opera, Meg knew that she had been intrigued. Though, she never learned what exactly went on beneath the Opera when Christine had gone down there with Erik. All she knew was that Christine had come back, her eyes had tears streaming out of them, and she was begging to be left alone. No doubt Erik's temper had gotten out of it's cage (that didn't seem to work too well), and had nearly gave her a heart attack. After all, he tended to throw people against walls rather than ask questions!

And Erik had let himself believe that Christine had been in love with him: this she knew for certain. Her mother had told her all about how his hopes were smashed that snowy night on the rooftop where he had overheard the love song between Raoul and Christine.

Then when it all came down to the Final Decision, Christine had begged for Raoul's life; probably making Erik more angry than he already was. It's one thing to know that one hates you and to feel it.

Finally Meg opened her mouth to speak, Erik still pushing her against the wall and glaring at her angrily.

"Whatever comes out of your mouth," he snarled, his eyes narrowing for emphasis (or maybe he was just really angry, either way). "had better be the truth, and not some fabled fairy-tale to send my hopes flying only to come crashing down yet again. I've been hurt enough in my life. I don't need this: not now."

Meg struggled to keep herself from crying as Erik's voice broke during his plea for his heart not to be broken once more.

There were no more words left in Meg's mouth now. No, she did the only thing she knew to make him understand clearly.

She kissed him.

**AN: Awwwww! I knew this would finally come! And not just because I'm the authoress either, though that might help a tad bit. :) What do you think? Were you expecting that? **

**Thank you all for your lightning-speed reviews on the last chapter! I have the best readers ever! It made me want to update sooner but I told myself that you all needed time to prepare yourself for this chapter.**

**Also, I am flying to Arizona today and will be staying for the rest of the month. I don't know if I will be near a laptop or computer, so I may not be updating at all until I get back home. I will try my nest though. **

**((REVIEW plllleeeassse.))**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Oh, Sanity... Wait What Sanity?

Erik couldn't believe it. A woman had kissed him. Of her own accord. Naturally, he started to kiss her back, but that didn't stop his mind from going in every direction under the moon. He had never been willingly kissed by a woman in his entire life. Of course, he didn't think that Christine's kiss should count, because she was only doing it for that Slave of Fashion Raoul. Why in the world didn't he kill him again? Oh yeah, that's right. Christine would have been heartbroken.

You see, it's one thing to love someone and another thing to think you love someone. In Erik's case, he had truly loved Christine. That one, certain, snowy night on the rooftop literally shattered what was left of his heart to pieces. How could he have known that Christine would have loved Raoul over him? That question is easily answered: his mask and the deformity it was hiding. However, in the end, he had loved Christine so much that he let her go willingly to be with the one she truly loved, for her happiness' sake. He murdered his own happiness to give Christine hers.

This thought, of course, sent him tumbling back to present time. Suddenly, before his eyes the woman in front of him began to change. Her beautiful angelic straight, blonde hair turned to deep chocolate curls, uncontrollable, wild, and spiraling down in gorgeous circles that seemed to never want to end. Meg's eyes changed slightly, from their pretty light brown to a deep, intense, dark brown. Her face changed ever so slightly, and standing before him was Christine, tears constantly tumbling out of her eyes, streaming down her cheeks, and consistently dripping off her chin onto the ground.

"Pitiful creature of darkness," she sang softly, looking at him with pity, "what kind of life have you known? God give me courage to show you, you are not alone!"

She stepped forward, and was about to kiss him again when Erik stumbled back into the tunnel wall, hitting his head on a lower shelf in the process.

"Erik?" Meg's voice broke his hallucination and he realized that he needed to leave or else he wouldn't have any control over what he did to Meg for daring to intrude his personal space yet again. (And knowing Meg, she would do it. Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over, I think you get the picture.)

"I.. I… I need to go," he muttered quickly, embarrassed at himself, and angry at Meg, though he found he didn't have the energy to throw her against the tunnel wall. With that being said, he swept past Meg, running full speed for his lair and praying that he could reach his room and just be left alone. Left alone forever!

"Erik, wait!"

He heard Meg's voice calling in the darkness, but he didn't dare stop, for fear of what kind of flashback would appear this time.

… … … .. … … … … … … …

Meg stood where she had been standing before Erik had streaked away, when she had kissed him. She didn't know what she had been expecting as a reaction, but running away like that certainly wasn't what her mind had conjured up! She had imagined being yelled at, screamed at, shoved against the wall yet again, or worse. She had also imagined in the very back of her brain that he would actually calm down so that she could finish what she had been trying to tell him the whole time she had been with him: She was not like Christine, and she never would be. But never, never, had she ever imagined that the great, mighty, and feared Phantom of the Opera would run and cower in his room like a little boy.

Then again, you never did know exactly what the Phantom of the Opera was going to do. That was partly why Meg was drawn to him like she was. He was just so mysterious and you could never guess what is going in that genius brain of his. But running away from a problem just didn't seem to be like something that the Phantom of the Opera would do. Even the thought of poor, vulnerable Erik running away from a problem didn't seem to be very dreamable. Then again, when you have a split personality, some things you just cannot plan ahead on.

"Erik, please, just stop! I'm so sorry… Erik? Erik?"

There was still only the sound of fast-paced silent footsteps. She didn't know how to explain it, but it was almost as if the air itself was moving around, and not an actual man trying to run from his fears. _How in the world am I going to catch up to him?_ Meg thought to herself, growling in frustration as once again her long gown got caught and nearly ripped it off of her. He was an extremely fast runner, which didn't surprise her at all. Phantoms are supposed to be fast and silent. Just maybe not this one, not right now.

"Erik, if you would just…stop…then…we could….talk…..this…out…" Meg was breathing heavily and could barely get the words out of her mouth, much less yell them at Erik, who was probably back at the lair, in his room, by now anyway. However, it seemed that once again she needed to be careful what she wished for.

For suddenly, a tall, cloaked figure started advancing upon her, until she had backed up against the wall. The Phantom loomed over her, his mouth twisted into a jaunting sneer, his usually humorous-filled eyes dark and cold, and his white half-mask glowing like a candle in the dark. "Fine," he snarled, his voice low and dangerous. "you want to talk? Then let's talk."

**AN: Oh wow! So guess what! I ended up staying tonight at my cousin's house and they like practically gave me the laptop! So I got to get you wonderful readers another chapter this month after all! I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get another one up this month or not, but I'll certainly try!**

**Once again, thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I enjoy reading each and every one of them. Don't forget, if you have an idea, write it out in your review! I love getting ideas! And, I might use them!**

**HEEEEEEY! PAY ATTENTION! If you have an Instagram account, go follow thephantom_phans! That's my Phan account on Instagram and I post pictures daily of POTO. Plus, I also have a mini-fanfiction that I'm writing going on there and I rather like it myself. Sooo, if you have an Instagram, be sure to follow thephantom_phans!**

**((REVIEW?))**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: A Night to Remember

Meg fought the urge to back up as the Phantom towered over her, appearing very intimidating indeed. She could only hope that he wouldn't push her back into a wall again, or her back might end up being so scraped it would be unrecognizable. "E- Erik?" She asked hesitantly, unsure as to whether Erik was going to listen to her, as he had his "Phantom of the Opera" attitude on.

The Phantom stalked even closer towards her, practically snarling in her face. "Don't 'Erik' me!"

Meg felt her own temper starting to get the best of her as well, as she too started snapping at Erik. "I'll 'Erik' you if I want to! You can't make me do anything!"

She immediately regretted the words that had come flying out of her mouth without permission as she was forced into the wall. Erik leaned hard against her, practically crushing her against the wall with his body "I can't, can I?" He snarled, leaning dangerously close. Meg started to struggle Against him, even though she knew it was no use. Once the Phantom of the Opera had his mind on something, there was no deterring him. "Stop struggling," he hissed, and forced her even harder against the wall.

"Erik, stop! Please Erik, I beg you to stop! Don't become the monster everyone believes you to be! You're better than this!"

Erik didn't listen to her, only pressed her harder against the wall. Meg could feel the blood start to run down her back, almost tickling her if not for the immense pain that was pulsing from the scratches. "ERIK! YOU'RE HURTING ME!" She screamed.

"Oh, I'm hurting you, am I?" Erik sneered, his face moving ever closer to her. "I'm not hurting you. Yet. I'll show you real pain!"

With that, he picked her up and swung her over his left shoulder with the strength of five men. Meg screamed again and flopped like a ragdoll with Erik's rough movements. She cried out again at the pain, praying that Erik would return to his senses soon.

"Erik, please!" She begged, her sentences coming out in mere gasps. He, of course, ignored her, only walking faster, the movement jarring Meg's senses. Her breath was coming in short gasps, and she felt the blood continue to trickle down her back. She felt unconsciousness beckoning towards her, but quickly snapped out of it; realizing that if she have way to the pain, that Erik could literally do whatever he wanted to her. She knew he would never touch her in the wrong way, but at this present moment her mind wasn't listening to her rational side.

No, he only continued. Down, down, down they went. Meg started to wonder just how many stairs he would have to climb down before they would reach their destination. That, however, wasn't bothering her half as much as The Question. The Question was: what was Erik going to do when they got to the lair? He was obviously still in his "Phantom" mood.

The trip seemed to go on forever. In fact, it was taking so long, that Meg started to wonder if maybe he was taking wrong turns just to cause her more pain.

Meg let out a scream of pain when she was suddenly, and roughly, tossed into the bottom of the boat as if she were nothing more than a worthless doll. Erik jumped in the boat as well, and Meg whimpered when the boat's movements irritated her wounds even more. She had an almost unbearable pain pounding in her right side, and she suspected that she had at least one broken rib. The blood from her back had started to deep through her corset, and Meg prayed that it wouldn't stain the dress she was wearing. Not that it mattered... The whole dress was covered in mud, and the hem was ripped. The dress was already ruined, but Meg knew that a seamstress could easily repair the hem and a good wash would clear the mud right away. But there was nothing that could be done if there were to be blood stains.

She cried out as the boat began moving. Erik seemed to make certain that the boat would row as rough as possible. Meg bit her lip to keep back the cries of pain, causing her lip to start bleeding. Meg caught Erik's eye, and for just a moment, time seemed to freeze and the guilt and sorrow in Erik's blue-green eyes were visible. However, it only lasted a second, and Erik's eyes had hardened into icy blue orbs that held so much hatred in them, Meg was astonished.

"Now," he snarled, and Meg barely stopped herself from jerking back in fear. "I will show you what real pain is."

Meg started to cry, the tears streaming from her eyes as she desperately grabbed Erik's hand. "Erik, please. This is not you. You can overcome this! Erik..."

He quickly snatched his hand back with a snarl, his eyes narrowing at her. "You are treading on dangerous ground, Mademoiselle Meg," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Meg squeezed her eyes shut as Erik stepped over her to step off the boat onto the quotes of the lake. He flung his cape to the ground and sudden realization dawned on him of what he was about to do. His eyes widened in horror, and all he could do was whisper. "What have I done?! Meg! Meg, mon ange, I am so sorry!"

Meg was shocked. "What did you just call me?"

Before Erik could respond, the boat was bucked violently beneath her, and Meg screamed in terror as she was suddenly plunged into the icy cold water.

The last thing Meg heard was Erik screaming her name as she sank deeper in the lake, as well as falling into unconsciousness.

**AN: sorry, guys! I didn't want to leave you on a cliffhanger but I had no choice. To every action there is a reaction, and Erik's actions have been horribly monstrous in this chapter. We just have to remember: Erik has and always will be The Phantom. Poor Meg... Anyways, you guys will have to see what will happen on the next chapter. As always, please ((REVIEW)). **


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